Monday, 27 June 2016

Book Review : My Dream Man by Aditi Bose

Book- My Dream Man: A journey from dreams to reality

Author- Aditi Bose

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Author’s Ink Publications

 

Blurb-

Ajopa is all set to hit the buttons to produce a manuscript, in a limited amount of time. After all the heartbreak and rejections from various publishing house, Ajopa was set back for quite some while. But a hope enlightens her life.

Aniket is a professor of Economics and bridges the gap between immaturity and maturity.

Will Ajopa overcome the fear of getting rejected and produce a scintillating story? How Aniket will influence and handle the chaos? What end is destined for them?

 

Title and Cover-

The cover of the book has a deeper sense just like the title. Two entangled beings say a lot. The saying “Don’t judge the book by its cover (here name too)” fits perfectly because the story has touched different tangents. One can understand the title and cover only after reading the book. And I love exploring hidden meanings. Perfectly worked for me.

 

Characters-

A book with not a bulk of characters manages to face the wind with guts. Just two names cross your eyes and even then I enjoyed a lot.

Aniket, the hero of this romantic tale is not any Casanova or a male chauvinist, he is subtle. Aditi has beautifully crafted him in the story and his presence made things better. Ajopa being a mixture of a bubbly student and a grown up is shown radiantly. The way her life advances with her age leaves an impact of evolvement.

Apart from these two there were some supporting characters which didn’t shine at all. There role ended with a blink of eye.

 

Narration-

I never like first person narration, personally speaking, but “My Dream Man” was an exception. I enjoyed the simplicity which could have been produced only through first person narration (In my opinion). The narrator Ajopa was clear from the very start that she was the master and she narrated things quite well. There were proper breaks, perfect change of situations and well divided chapters.

 

Review-

The story of Ajopa seemed quite related and after just few pages of reading I could feel a strong connection with her. The way she presented herself was really charming and fluent. Story moves with the narration of her life and aspirations. In the midst of so much going in her life you don’t need to wait and understand what is happening because everything is swaying smoothly, no hitches, no haste.

The novel starts at a very bland end. I am never interested in knowing how people meet, what interest me is how things progress in their lives and Aditi Bose has touched that grip when the middle portion of the book arrived. Interesting was to see the part where Ajopa is in between the low phase, the writer’s block. The variety of things she tries and what at the end attracts her is used well by the author in terms with the moving tale.

At many nooks and corners I found comparisons, say, between situations and people, and it is not just told by Aditi, it is shown. You get a wider scope to understand things, microscopic level I must mention. The gags were making things brighter in the dim light. I read that the author wrote the book when she was low, no one can guess that while reading "My Dream Man" . The blend of openness and hindrances was well managed to attain a perfect equilibrium.

Further, the story has a very dramatic portion. The way author has mentioned deaths and dreams is quite radiant. The explanations and little theories that Ajopa implies give you a comfort pat on your back. It sounded smooth. And that can happen to only those who have close relation to Dream and Death in their lives. So in the midst of jokes and light chapters there comes a hole where such deep things are hidden in the book. I loved that fact.

Other noteworthy parts in the ending of the book are the second try of Ajopa and how things crawl. Not going in much detail, I want to mention one more thing which hit my nerves was the family scene. I read it with apt attention and found that we all are part of the same game. High five author.

Summing up- What can be better than an end which can make you smile. A proper showdown and blend of extra spices the book contained, before the curtain was about to fall. I loved the middle, liked the end and was involved with the beginning. The author has tried to show her best colours in the pages of “My Dream Man” and I am happy to say that she hasn’t failed. It was a book which I can read once again just to dive in with Ajopa and meet Aniket in the way.

 

Eye-catchers-

· “..The harder parents try to bind us in chains, the easier they make it for us to slip out.”

· “People tend to become their vulnerable at night.”

· “Everything would turn into a blur. All except his touch.”

· “No relationship can bloom without thoughtfulness.”

· “Sometimes just sitting alone calms down the mind.”

· “Writing is a craft. And craft is a creation. It is an urge. It is not a choice.”

 

Turn-on’s-

The simplicity of the book is what turned me on. An easy and quick read made me finish the book in a day but not to forget the story which was also that powerful to hold me till I finished. The blend of softness and truth of life are seen at every end.

A mind-blowing fact about the book was the small quotes which author mentioned with the start of every chapter. If one closely takes a look after finishing the chapter then one can get a powerful insight to some hidden aspects.

The one liner's were great. The conversations were quirky and day-to-day type so a strong connection was made with the characters while reading.

 

Turn-off’s-

I wasn’t awestruck even once while reading. There was no rise of heart beat and no goose bumps. The story moved and moved and then finished but that one moment of greatness was nowhere to be seen.

 

Recommendation-

The short and beautiful tale can be a perfect break from all those hard literary works you are about to read. Worth a try.

 

About the author-

A content writer and the author of an e-book for children Aditi Bose is based in Delhi. She completed her MBA from the International Management Institute and is an alumina of Loreta house and St. Xaviers College. Hailing from a family of judges and lawyers she is the first to pick the pen. Stories her parents told her as a child and her passion for maintaining a personal diary and a travel journal inspired her to take up writing.

 

Connect with the author-

· Twitter- @aditi_bose

· Facebook page- https:// www.facebook.com/MyDreamManBook

 

Buy the book-

· Amazon link- http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/9385137301/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467035822&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&keywords=my+dream+man+by+aditi+bose

Sunday, 12 June 2016

Book Review : An Autograph for Anjali by Sundari Venkatraman

Book- An Autograph for Anjali

Author- Sundari Venkatraman

Genre- Fiction (Romance/Thriller)

Publisher- Self Published

 

Blurb-

Anjali and Jayant are married for very long, still void reside between them. Arjun tries his best to bridge the gap but he is more concerned about the feelings of his parents.

Parth is a bestselling writer. But he lacks inspiration in his life. The new change arrives which alters things beyond normalcy for him.

What will happen when sanity becomes the call of past? How will the leads tackle the pressure? Will things mend for all? Or will things fall from their hands?

 

Title-

Title was ok. It wasn’t literary and it didn’t create an everlasting impression. There could have been alternatives.

 

Cover-

The cover is really gripping because it has all the elements which are an essential part of the book. The “PB” initials, the coffee mugs, the red and grey tint, the bullets. It is a very thoughtful and creative cover.

 

Characters-

Major and minor leads cross one’s eyes from time to time. There is a perfect blend of negativity and positivity residing in the characters. There thought process is very wide and didn’t repeat. It seems they open up another dimension to let the readers know the mind-set of: a housewife, a millionaire husband, a caring son, the upper class society and what not.

If I pick my favourite characters then I would surely mention, Anjali, Parth, Jayant and Arjun. It has been the first time that I have loved all the leads. Also, from the minor characters I loved, Rana, Seema and Nalini.

All these characters were mind-blowing.

 

Narration-

Third person narration was really well suited. Short sentences, normal vocabulary makes the novel an easy read. Short and sweet chapters were another important factor of the book. The narrator doesn’t just say the story but also the feelings were well shown which allows the book to climb one step above the normal books.

 

Reviews-

Sundari Venkatraman is well known for her romance novels. “An autograph for Anjali” is like a properly rehearsed scene by the author. Every corner was decorated well because the author seems at complete ease when dealing with romance. I started this book with a pre-notion in mind that a pure romance will be placed on my table. But I was wrong.

92 chapters long novel had more elements than one can think. It had mystery, grief, love, affection, longing, feminism, women empowerment and lot more. I was in complete awe while experiencing so many things in just one book.

The story starts with a bang on but sadly this phase of the novel is cut short. I was enjoying all the murder mystery but then I knew that it was meant to change the line. The drama crafted in the initial chapters was noteworthy. I highly enjoyed the mind set of different people and how people were reacting according to their traits. It was human nature described vastly I must say.

I loved the balance between the characters which was maintained from the very start. I don’t fall for books in which there are only good people. The world is not spicy enough without the antagonists and Sundari Venkatraman was thinking alike. I was crowded by characters and I loved what they had to say, through their way of reacting.

Further, the story took turns in a jiffy and the flashback hit my spine like a hammer. I was so involved to know what happens further. I want to bow down in front of the author for keeping such clean and short chapters. One cannot stop themselves to know what the next chapter has in store for them. It needs proper vision towards the story which one is about to pen to do this.

Anjali represented a woman who was held in the middle. Not knowing much yet wanting to know more. I loved her attitude towards things. The phase of Greece was fantastic. It opened many new faces of people like that of Parth, Anjali and of course Jayant. I loved Jayant from the bottom of my heart. Thanks author for penning such minute details about such group of men who were represented by Jayant.

Not even once I felt that some chapters were added just for the sake of moving things. Every chapter had some necessary movement and information that helped in the long run. I felt the emotions that people showed were more powerful than the story and I haven’t experienced the same thing while reading in a very long time. The book has opened a very new section of writing in front of me. Highly impressive.

Summing up- The book succeeded in attaining a perfect equilibrium. There were equal proportions of everything in the book. Nothing left behind and nothing won the race, no one was over powered and no one was forgotten, nothing was exaggerated and nothing was pressed beyond its need.

 

Eye-catchers-

· “An author by profession, he was good at observing people.”

· “Acquiring fresh knowledge kept a mind healthy and young.”

 

Turn-on’s-

The fluidic quality in the book was the biggest turn on. One cannot stop before reading 20 to 30 chapters in a go. Everything about the book is a big turn on.

 

Turn-off’s-

Wow factors were missing from the book. I didn’t miss a heart beat much often. Also, the mystery is stopped in between and doesn’t appear for a long time. It was like a long break before knowing what happened.

 

Recommendation-

Romance lovers can pick it without thinking much. It is a great book, will surely entertain you.

 

About the author-

An autograph for Anjali is the sixth book authored by Sundari Venkatraman. This book is a romantic suspense. Other published novels by the author are The Malhotra Bride, Meghna, The Runaway Bridegroom and the madras affair- all romances. She also has a collection of romantic short stories called Matches made in heaven.

 

Connect with the author-

· Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Sundari-Venkatraman/e/B00IBEUJV2

· Website- www.sundarivenkatraman.com

· Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSundariVenkatraman

Book Review : DNA: Dad's Not Adopted by Shikha Kaul

Book- DNA: Dad’s not adopted

Author- Shikha Kaul

Genre- Fiction (Thriller/Mystery)

Publisher- Gargi Publishers

 

Blurb-

Rishabh Shenoy is living a peaceful life. But in a milli-second his life went upside down. Nisa Yuen is a girl from Thailand who is on a mission after her mother’s death. Everyone tries to solve the codes of a hidden mystery.

Ghazal and Pranab are keen to know the truth. But what lays in front of them?

In the middle of this chaos and running scenario, will the truth come in front? Or things would remain entangled in the web of conspiracy? What more difficulties would pop in front of people who are trying to chase the truth?

 

Title-

The title of the book is fine but doesn’t have the capability to leave a great impact. It does have relevance, great relevance but there is no literary impression which it can leave on one.

 

Cover-

It is pretty, yes, very pretty but the elements shown in the cover doesn’t depict much of the novel. But the good part is the back cover. The image of a person, a darkened persona and the city shining bright is really tantalising.

 

Characters-

Characters are the breath of book. If there power is increased then things can go wrong. The book has an enormous amount of characters, antagonists and protagonists both. The major and minor characters are well described, equally.

Mentioning the best ones- amongst the major characters I loved, Ghazal and Pranab. And amongst the minor ones I loved, Nattakit and Nisa.

 

Narration-

Third person narration worked well for this thriller. Everything was well penned, from love to mystery and revelations, everything was well handled. The chapters were divided well and even the flashbacks were handled at ease.

 

Reviews-

Shikha Kaul has penned the story in her book “DNA” with utmost care and precision. Trying her hand for the first time in thriller she has done wonders. The plot was complicated yet had relatable facts and figures, making it easy to involve completely in the tale. The book has four parts and every part contains some important things which make the whole book from start to the end very influencing and gripping. It never felt that things were added just for the sake of adding them. Everything was making sense.

The story revolves around Rishabh Shenoy and how his life is affected by just one incident which he is not even aware of.

Part 1- The murder:
It was a mind blowing move by the author to keep the most important fact in front. The story was very clear from the very start and that made the curiosity level touch the sky. I loved how the chapters were planned in this part. The confession and the reality were helpful in avoiding any sort of confusion that might have occurred. The story has layers and that is the key step in succeeding when one is writing a thriller.

The main leads were put in front without any delay. I loved the fact that author didn’t exaggerate the power of Rishabh. It would have then become another daily soap. The concentration was on story and not on characters, mind-blowing fact.

Part 2- Thailand:
It was my favourite part from the whole novel because it had unthinkable facts and the highest suspense is created due to this part only. Another important factor about the book is that the main leads switch and this creates a new phase with lot of freshness. The movement of the investigation is triggered smoothly.

The smoky lifestyle of the place and the situations are well described. It has the power to make you stand with the two leads, Ghazal and Pranab while they move ahead to find the clues, it’s that much gripping. Well done author.

This part is a great combo of violence, love and attraction with a little curiosity on the top.

Part 3 & 4- The Past and The Trial:
All that is to be known reside in these parts. The way new characters arrive in the scene to let the readers know more about the story is an interesting fact. If the links were kept straightaway in front then things wouldn’t have appeared the way they were now.

Summing up- A thriller can only success when it makes you lose your heart beat at least once. DNA can do that multiple times. As the story progress one starts doubting even a minor character and that is where the sole motive of a thriller is achieved. It needs to connect much-much more than the normal fiction stories. I loved the fact that minute details were thought of and a straight path was followed by the author. Love, hatred and want was supporting the mystery but were not over-powering it. And that is when I fell in love with the book.

Kudos to the author for being successful with her first thriller novel.

 

Eye-catchers-

· “There must be something planned about this unplanned situation.”

· “There’s a difference between leading a life and living a life but the good part is... the choice is yours.”

· “Every unspoken word of his was smoothly landing on to her ears.”

· “You drink water to quench your thirst, not to fill your bladder, but they go together, don’t they?”

· “Everyone loves to hate rains here (Mumbai) and everyone hates to love them too.”

· “There’s always a first time to do and there’s always a second time to rectify.”

 

Turn-on’s-

Everything about the book is a big turn on. The story, the mystery, the characters, places, situations, the ending, everything has the capability to hold any reader.

 

Turn-off’s-

Nothing I found which distracted or hindered my reading experience.

 

Recommendation-

Mystery and thriller lovers can give it a try without any doubts. There are many layers to keep the fun intact.

 

About the author-

Winner of the author of the year award by Salis Online magazine for her debut novel “Hidden Husband”, which is a romantic contemporary fiction, author Shikha Khanduja Kaul has experimented with a thriller and a murder mystery with her second bok. Alongside her career in the staffng industry, she managed to pursue her passion for writing.

 

Connect with the author-

· www.facebook.com/shikhakaulauthor

· Twitter handle- @shikhakaul10

· shikha.kaul.author@gmail.com

Friday, 10 June 2016

Book Blitz : Tales of Sunshine by Sundari Venkatraman




BOOK BLITZ

TALES OF SUNSHINE
(A collection of short stories)
by
Sundari Venkatraman



Blurb

TALES OF SUNSHINE is a collection of ten short stories that bring hope.
“A Ray of Sunshine” is about young Raj who’s terribly upset when many people in his team lose their jobs. But is he able to do anything about it?
“A Promise Given” is about Sachin, the poor, rich, young man; and the pregnant Aparna.
“Life Goes out of Control” is the story where Preeti, an only child, is a bone of contention between her parents.
Rakesh Nath has slogged throughout his life to become rich, to suffer a massive heart attack at 57. Read “Rakesh Nath’s Recovery” to find out more...
“Exam Fever” is about Renu and her anxious mother, Maya. Renu wants to play truant from studies while Maya is terribly worried about her daughter’s exams.
“Until Death us do Part” is the story of Rekha, the 35-year-old COO of an MNC. She finds love or does she?
Ansh adores his grandfather. But his mother Anu is scared of her son spending time with the Alzheimer patient in “Is Grandpa Home?”
The “Daydreaming Mercenary” is Reema. She blows up her sister Rita’s hard-earned money. But are things what they actually seem?
“Breaking Free from the Mould” is the most difficult thing as a human. With so much pressure from his Grandma, will Aarush pursue his calling?

“The Elephant in the Room” is in the first person where the poor Nandita talks about her friendship (?) with the rich Shruti.

 
Grab your copy @


About the author


Tales of Sunshine is the seventh book authored by Sundari Venkatraman. This book is an anthology of human interest stories. Other published novels by the author are The Malhotra Bride, Meghna, The Runaway Bridegroom, The Madras Affair and An Autograph for Anjali—all romances. She also has a collection of romantic short stories called Matches Made in Heaven. All of Sundari Venkatraman’s books have been on Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers in India, USA, UK & Australia many times over.

 
Stalk her @




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Saturday, 4 June 2016

Book Review : My India "Musings of a Patriot" by Vivek Gumaste

Book- My India “Musings of a Patriot”

Author- Vivek Gumaste

Genre- Non-fiction (Articles)

 

Blurb-

The book is a summation of various articles published on different platforms. Topics vary from one area to other but have one common strand “INDIA”.

 

Title-

After reading the book I was really sure about the appropriateness of the title of the book. It was well suited.

 

Cover-

The cover depicts the ‘Stone Chariot’ of the Vittala Temple complex in Hampi, Karnataka which was once the capital of the great Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagara. The ‘Stone Chariot’ was built in the 16th century, during the reign of Krishnadevaraya, one of the greatest kings of the Vijayanagara Empire. (As mentioned by the author)
I thought it's better to share the information with the readers. The cover was a very thoughtful account. Kudos author.

 

Reviews-

The whole book had topics which can make you move with ease. I was in awe after completing the book because it had transferred a lot of information which were never known to me about my own country. At the end of my read I was satisfied.

There were some topics which I found the best; my review would be majorly covering those topics.

Part 2- BJP ; Chapter 15- Why the RSS and BJP are true champions of our democracy
It talks about how things paces after independence in our country. It is needed that we know about how things worked. The heroes and villains must be known. This article is really effective because of its efficiency to draw in front the realities.

Part 3- The Congress Party; Chapter 17- Mr. PM you too can raise to the occasion comparison between Manmohan Singh and Lal Bahadur Shastri
An eye opener was this article. We sometimes forget the people who had done a lot in the most crucial times. It gave me Goosebumps to know what all Mr. Shastri did to fight wars, droughts etc. The information can make one believe that India is a sacred place because it is the home of people like these.

Part 4- Kashmir; Chapter 22- Kashmir: Pakistan is the problem not the solution
The problem of Kashmir is not unknown to anyone. The article was a nice summation of what we are heading to and what we are actually suppose to do and follow. I haven’t read the reality in such naked form which can make one stop and think for a while.

Part 9- Terrorism ; Chapter 47- Be like the French
This topic must be read by all the Indians because we need to know that it’s just in India that things are delayed. Other people are so adamant to move ahead and get things done.

Other mind-blowing topics are-

*Have we been unfair to Narendra Modi?
*Are Nepal Maoists a threat to India?
*Forget Pak, let’s first strengthen our internal security
*The rape controversy: why we need to move beyond protest

The topics in the book are short and not exaggerated much. It made the reading experience quite subtle and easy. The topics are meant to teach and show things which we neglect or might have forgotten to even notice. The book was a great read, something really refreshing.

 

Eye-catchers-

· “His moderation, unimpeachable integrity and honesty made him an ideal compromise candidate.”

· “Bad behaviour cannot be rewarded.”

 

Turn-on’s-

The way the book was divided in various parts and the different topics which were presented in each of them was making things appropriate in one sense or the other. The author’s vast knowledge can easily be seen through each and every topic that was discussed. It was well balanced book.

 

Recommendation-

Readers who are into reading political writings can give it a try for sure. The book is not for fiction readers because it requires a lot of patience and attention.

 

About the author-

Vivek Gumaste is an academic and political commentator based in the United States. Passionate about India, he is an avid writer and has written several op-eds and columns for mainstream Indian newspapers like the new Indian express, the Hindustan times, the Sunday guardian and the Pioneer. In addition he is a regular columnist for the popular news portal, Rediff and blogs on Huffington post (India).

Only If

If I ever get a chance I would love to fall in love with someone who has never been in love. It would be so easy to make him see things thr...